L020 diet?

[DHarris]

Hi,

My lfs just had a 30% off sale and I picked up a couple new plecos. In one of the tanks they had what I believe to be a l020. It didn't look to great but I've bought other malnourished plecos in the past that I've been able to bring back to healthy specimens.

While I'm not overly optimistic here (it's eyes are and belly are both sunken in and it seems to be fanning it's fins), I'd like to do my best to bring it around. Unfortunately I'm not seeing much information on this species.

Can anyone confirm what it eats? I'm prepared with just about every option but am not sure what it would find most enticing.

Thanks in advance!

[bekateen]

@CharlieM9, you've bred these

L020

. Can you offer any tips on food?

Cheers, Eric

[CharlieM9]

Hi,

My lfs just had a 30% off sale and I picked up a couple new plecos. In one of the tanks they had what I believe to be a l020. It didn't look to great but I've bought other malnourished plecos in the past that I've been able to bring back to healthy specimens.

While I'm not overly optimistic here (it's eyes are and belly are both sunken in and it seems to be fanning it's fins), I'd like to do my best to bring it around. Unfortunately I'm not seeing much information on this species.

Can anyone confirm what it eats? I'm prepared with just about every option but am not sure what it would find most enticing.

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I have two things to be very useful in helping to acclimate this species. First is very clean water, change as much as you can as often as you can until you start to see it feeding aggressively. Second, is temperature, I would suggest a minimum of 82F for a fish in the condition you have listed.

Now onto the foods....I refer to my first group as a true labor of love. They were extremely finicky and I had to get algae/aufwuchs covered rocks from a small stream near by to get them to start feeding. Once I noticed they were eating that, I started adding in a slightly meaty but still mostly plant protein based food onto the rocks. This was so that as they grazed the covered rocks, they couldn't help but get bits of the pellets.

If the fish is in desperate need of food, you could try a very small amount of bloodworm as these are relished, but seem to also cause bloat.

I would put getting these fish acclimated to aquarium life and eating very close to that of the gold nuggets difficulty wise. Hopefully others can offer some first hand advice with theirs too!

Edit; seeing as you are in CA, Ken's fish has a food "spirulina bits with garlic and paprika" that has been the first food I have been able to get my groups to eat.

[Narwhal72]

I have had 3 L020 for the last year or so. I feed them Repashy morning wood, Repashy Spawn N grow (although this is mainly for the juvenile Sturisoma they share the tank with), Aqueon Algae Wafers, and sliced cucumber. The three were wild caught imports that I picked up from the importer a week after they arrived. I had no problems getting them to eat the Repashy right away.

I keep the water at 84 degrees and the tank gets a 50% water change with RO water every other week or so. More often if I am motivated.

No issues so far.

[DHarris]

Thank you so much for the insight. So far so good, it's still hanging in there.

I've increased the temp to 84 degrees and have been doing small daily water changes. The pleco seems to have gotten back it's color, it was incredibly washed out and stressed looking when I brought it home.

It seems to move around a bit though I'm yet to actually see it eat. Still has sunken eyes and belly but fingers crossed it's pull through.

If it decides to come out during the day I'll do my best to get a picture.

Thanks again. I'll update as things progress.

[CharlieM9]

Keep us posted! Fingers crossed as this is an under valued species imo.

[Narwhal72]

Yes. Definitely underappreciated fish. I think mine are quite attractive.

[DHarris]

Just dropped in a bunch of algae wafers this morning. One of my L091 somehow dragged one into the cave that the L020 has been hiding it.
It immediately went for it and is still chewing away. So great to finally see it eating, I'm hopeful it's going to pull through.

Once it starts venturing out I'll post some pictures. Next question is if it actually is an L020 or something else...

Thanks again for all of the advice, it's appreciated.

[DHarris]

Just wanted to thank you all again, my suspected L020 seems to have made huge rebound in health.
It's been venturing out more and more and has regained it's color and put on weight nicely.
Still trying to get a picture but it tends to hide as soon as it realizes it's being watched. Once it gets a little bolder and lets me get a picture I'll post it.

Thanks.

[CharlieM9]

That is awesome to hear DHarris! Very glad it was able to turn the corner for you!